In 2022, approximately 17 million American homes faced challenges securing adequate nutrition, marking a concerning rise from the previous year when augmented federal support provided a buffer against the economic strains triggered by the pandemic.

The Department of Agriculture revealed these distressing details in a report issued on Wednesday, indicating a “statistically significant” surge in food insecurity. According to a comprehensive survey involving around 32,000 U.S. households, an estimated 12.8% struggled with inconsistent access to sufficient food in 2022, an increase from 10.2% in 2021 and 10.5% in 2020.

Experts in food security cite last year’s combination of escalating inflation and the phased-out government aid from the pandemic era as key contributors to this issue. Geri Henchy, the Director of Nutrition Policy at the Food Research and Action Center, described the situation as a ‘perfect storm’ that has been especially harsh on family units.

Moreover, the number of families facing severe financial constraints, which can lead to limiting food intake and disrupting regular eating patterns due to lack of resources, also increased. The USDA’s Economic Research Service report showed that households grappling with “very low food security” climbed to 5.1%, affecting 6.8 million households, compared to 3.8% in 2021 and 3.9% in 2020.

Although enhanced benefits and eased entry into the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) remained in place into the early months of this year, various federal and state aid programs initiated during the pandemic were scaled back in 2021. Henchy emphasized the termination of universally free school lunches, a significant policy discontinued in the summer of 2022, as a critical blow to families.

These troubling findings echo the experiences of food banks and charities toward the end of the last year, which saw a demand for assistance that surpassed their expectations as the 2022 holiday season approached. Despite careful planning, these organizations were often faced with a greater need than anticipated.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack stated that the survey’s outcomes are intolerable and called for heightened awareness and action to prevent any reductions in anti – poverty and anti – hunger initiatives. He underlined that the increased benefits for fruits and vegetables under the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program—one of the lasting relief efforts from the pandemic—face potential cuts in Congress.

The Biden administration has reinforced Vilsack’s stance, with White House spokesperson Jeremy Edwards branding food insecurity in such a wealthy nation as inexcusable.

Edwards stressed President Biden’s ongoing appeal to Congress for sustained funding for programs like WIC, SNAP, the National School Lunch Program, and the restoration of the amplified Child Tax Credit, which played a significant role in diminishing child poverty and aiding millions in managing basic expenses.